The Final Choice
by Malgrain
Summary: HUGE SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF LIFE IS STRANGE! You have been warned. This is my own personal ending, very recently wrote/spell checked so the chance for mistakes is likely. Hope you enjoy it.


**A/N - Hey! Sorry I've been gone, I really haven't felt up to writing recently, but I am considering continuing my other fanfic soon! Gimme some time. - For now, this is what I wrote up after what went down on the ending of LiS. Big spoilers of course, though this is my own turn on the events. I 'enjoyed' the ending, as in I liked it but it made me sad as shit. Lol. - But still, this was an idea I had. Tell me all what you think! Also, I literally just wrote this and did a quick spellcheck, so mistakes might still be around. Sorry for that. :**

* * *

The choice had been made. Max snapped back into reality with the click of the camera, watching as the photo that started it all slid from her camera. She wanted to hate it. She wanted to tear it to pieces for everything it had caused, but.. If it was not for this photo, this one photo, she would have never had the chance to be with Chloe this week. No matter how much pain it caused, she was thankful of that.

She pulled the photo from her camera, tossing it into the bucket in front of her with a flick of her wrist. If she was going to do this, she couldn't give herself a way to back out. This was the final change, her final choice. Everything was going to end right in this room. ..A bathroom, for dog's sake. But it had to happen here. - Fate, time, destiny.. whatever bullshit that decided this made it so.

The door clicked, Nathan pushing it open as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, taking in a slow and worried breath. He pushes forward, looking lazily around the room before turning to look towards a mirror. " It's cool, Nathan.. Don't stress... You're okay, bro. Just count to three... " ..Max had already heard this line twice before. She knew was was going to come soon after.

The storm was going to wipe out the town unless she made this choice. Hell, it still might.. but this is the only choice she can make to try and save it. To save everyone. It was a hard choice. - The hardest choice she has had to make this week, in her entire life even. But she had to do this. She had to save everyone, she had to let time fix itself. If she told herself this enough, maybe she will be able to handle what is to come.

" You own this school.. If I wanted, I could blow it up. You're the Boss. " Nathan continued his self-prep talk. Max felt sick hearing these words again. But, history had a way of repeating itself. - Very true, in this instance. Max had thought this over in her head time and time again. A part of her, throughout all of it, was worried that she caused this. That by saving Chloe this all started. She didn't want to believe it at first, pushed it to the back of her mind.. but it was the reality now. Time wanted Chloe to die. - She had to die in order to save everyone else. Her sick fate.

But what if she didn't? Max considered it. She had studied what was know about time, theories across the internet. Most of it was crap, but there might be some truth there. Who knows, after this? - But time might not be a definite thing. By changing this moment in time she fucked everything up, almost destroyed time itself.. But this was a pretty big point in time, wasn't it? The death of someone. That can cause a huge chain reaction. By saving Chloe, she caused her own chain reaction which led her back to this point. But her minor choices? Slight changes in conversations, perhaps even her choice of breakfast? That didn't seem to have nearly the same effect as this did. So maybe.. just maybe..

She could change time. One final time, the last time. As much as she wanted to save the town, Chloe meant so much to her. The town had only brought pain to both of them and to many others, and as much as both her and Chloe wanted to see it brought to ruin for all the suffering it had caused.. family was still there. Friends, people who cared about them, and people they cared about. Choosing between them or Chloe was an almost impossible decision. It sounds strange, having a hard time choosing between one person or thousands.. but it was truly the hardest choice she has ever had to make.

But there had to be a third option, right? There had to be a way to make peace with the universe and save everyone. - Including Chloe. Perhaps there isn't a way, maybe she was just hoping for something that could never be, but.. after this week, she was willing to take that chance. Maybe it was selfish, but it was an all or nothing choice. And it was time to act.

She quickly pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contact list for somebody who would be able to pass her message on. ..She had forgotten David's number, so he wasn't an option.. Chloe wasn't either, sadly. Her parents would have to do. She quickly typed her text while Nathan continued his prep-talk, explaining in detail what she had found. Jefferson, Nathan, the truth about Rachel and the other girls.. Everything she could think of and type up in such a short time. By the time she was finished, she didn't have time to review it, and simply hit send. This would have to be enough. - This would have to work.

She stashed her phone away, but felt something else in her pocket when she returned her phone to it. She was always the curious one, even at times like this. She pulled what felt like a small cord, or a string from her pocket, realizing only after she held it up what it was. Chloe's necklace, those three bullets, blood still dried across them. She had picked this up after Jeffersonofabitch met his end with David. She couldn't leave it there, not in that place. She had forgotten about it since then, but.. This could be as close to an explanation as she can give Chloe now. With a slow, shaky breath she pulled it over her head, sliding it around her neck as the bullets rested against her chest. It was-

" I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say. Now, let's talk bidness. " Chloe. She was here, and it was time. Max closed her eyes and leaned back against the stall, listening to the conversation that had, sadly, been burnt into her mind already. " I got nothin' for you. " Nathan stated in return, glancing over his shoulder as Chloe made her through the stalls. " Wrong. You got hella cash. " Chloe responded in turn, turning to face Nathan.

This was it.. Seconds from now it will be do or die. ..Or, do and die. It doesn't matter. This has to happen, this -has- to be done. For everyone's sake. Max took in another slow, shaky breath, preparing herself as the conversation continued. " I know you've been pumpin' drugs n' shit to kids around here.. I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Maaan, I can see the headlines now.. " Chloe threatened. That mouth of hers, damn it..

" Leave them out of this, bitch. " Nathan growled, only to get shoved back moments later by Chloe. " I can tell everybody that Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himsel-.. " And there it was. Nathan pulled the gun. " You don't know who the fuck I am, or who you're messing around with! " Nathan shouted. Almost time, almost time..

" Where'd you get that? What are you doing? Come on, put that thing down! " Chloe backs away, fear in her voice. Oh Chloe.. " Don't EVER tell me what to do. I'm so SICK of people trying to control me! " Nathan ranted, pushing the gun closer to her stomach. " You are going to get in hella more trouble for this than drugs.. " Chloe continued, back into a corner without an escape. " Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass would they?! " Nathan shouted, and now it was time. " Get that gun away from me, psyc-!.. "

Max raised her hand, freezing time in place. She knew she had to move fast, this took far too much energy last time she used it. She stepped around the corner slowly, time frozen in her hand as she made her way over to the two. She brought her free hand down to grab Nathan's arm, pulling it back and repositioning it enough so that it wouldn't hit Chloe. Then.. she stepped between the two, facing Chloe.

Somebody had to die here. Too much would change if somebody didn't.. and sadly, it probably couldn't be Nathan. Maybe, just maybe if someone else took this shot, took this bullet.. Everybody could be saved. Even Chloe.. Maybe the change would be so minor that time allows it, patches it over and continues. Fuck, this had to work. The other choices were impossible, especially now.

Max looked up into Chloe's fear-filled eyes, flashing the girl that she had fallen for over the week a warm, loving smile. ..No, that wasn't right. She fell for her long before this. - Back before she left. She was too young to realize it then, and too afraid to contact her after leaving.. but now? She knew what this feeling was. She was in love with her best friend, the person who had been with her for so many years before now, the person she.. abandoned when she left, and the person who deserved a change in her life. A chance. Not this, -never- this. Max brought her arms slowly around the bluenette, carefully adjusting her right to keep time frozen.

Blood began to run from her nose, and the dizziness was setting in. Her time was almost up, and she could feel the cool barrel of the gun pressed up against her back. She squeezed Chloe close, resting her cheek against the girl's chest, taking in her best friend's scent a final time. She smells like smoke, and probably had one hell of a bake before this.. Max nuzzled gently against the frozen girl's chest, tears running down her cheeks and leaving wetspots on Chloe's shirt. Not like Chloe would mind it..

She pushed herself up, lifting herself up onto her toes to bring herself face-to-face with Chloe, taking a short pause to simply.. stare into those blue hues. It was time. She leaned in, gently connecting their lips in a soft, loving embrace, holding herself there for a few seconds before lowering her hand, and allowing time to continue. " -cho! " BAM. The gun fired, and Max could feel the bullet sink into her from behind, ripping through her body. Still, she held the kiss, her body instinctively tensing as her arms tightened around the bluenette who's eyes were now wide, unsure of what was happening.

Within seconds Max felt the effects taking in and her lips broke away from Chloe's own, her tear-filled eyes locked with her wonderful blue tree's own. " I'm.. sorry.. " Max whispered out through the pain, blood beginning to pool around her lips as she fell against Chloe, who wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. " M- Max? Max?! What the- What the fu- fuck? " She gasped, shakily sliding down the wall with Max in her arms as Nathan dropped the gun and stepped back. " Oh- no, no no.. Fuck, no, Fuck! " He shouted, bringing his hands up to run his fingers through his hair as he turned and started to pace, in the same amount of shock as Chloe.

Max was turning pale quickly, the color draining from her already pale skin. " I.. should have been here for you, Chloe.. " She whispered, coughing up a mixture of spit and blood, which splashed up onto Chloe's white shirt. Max liked that shirt.. Chloe just shook her head, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. " N- No, no, Max.. You- You have nothing to be sorry for, alright? Fu- Fuck! I'll get help.. I'll get somebody, jus- " Chloe was stopped mid-freakout, Max's pale fingers brushing across the shocked bluenette's lips.

"No, Chloe.. I.. I don't have time to explain but, this.. this is.. right.. " She began to trail off and murmur, the last few words lost in the whisper. " Max, no, no.. Max! She squeezed the smaller girl closer, leaning down to press their cheeks together. " Don't leave me, Max.. Not again, not here.. Fuck, Max, don't.. " Chloe began trailing off herself, the tears pouring down her cheeks as she tried to hold the dying girl as close as possible to herself, trying to share her warmth as Max's rapidly faded away.

" Chloe.. " Max whispers, tilting her head to brush her cool cheek against Chloe's own. " I.. will.. always love you.. " She stated with the last of her consciousness. " Al..ways.. " She finished with her final breath, her eyes rolling back as her head rolled to the side, cold and limp. " No! Fuck, MAX! MAX! " Chloe slid the smaller girl onto the ground, wrapping her arms around her form. " Don't leave me, DAMN IT! DON'T LEAVE ME! " Chloe screamed through a broken voice, but it was over. Max was gone.

* * *

 **One Week Later**

* * *

The week had been long, filled with revelations about Nathan, Jefferson, Rachel, and the question of just how Max was involved in it all. But, it was all coming to a dark end and it was time. Everyone stood gathered around her casket, family, friends, teachers. All having come to pay their final respects to the loss of a hero. - A friend who jumped in front of a bullet to save another. This was to be her final resting place, where the earth would take back her body and, perhaps, the heavens take in her soul. She deserves peace..

Chloe stood, dressed in dark colors just like everyone else, her blue hair sticking out in the crowd gathered around. What happened on that day was still a blur to her. Max was nowhere and then... right there. She was told that it was shock, that her mind processed it differently. But Chloe knew what she saw. Somehow Max just.. appeared there to save the day. To be her hero. She had tried so much over the years to hate Max for leaving her, but Max came back just in time to save her sorry punk ass.. It wasn't right. Chloe knew that Max didn't deserve this, to take her place in that hole. But she was just an observer, and there was nothing she could do to change what happened.

The ceremony was quiet but nice, everyone having a chance to pay their respects before leaving. Still, there was one thing that went against everything that was told to Chloe. Max wore a necklace. - Her necklace, to be exact. The exact same necklace that she was wearing when it all happened. There was no difference between the two, she looked and looked, but they were the same in almost every way. How could that be? Chloe didn't have the slightest idea, but she wanted to know. She needed to find out what happened. The internet wasn't the best of help, however..

In the end Chloe was left with far more questions than answers, and the loss of a loved one. It was hard, and recovering from it would.. take far more than time, but for Max's sake.. she would try. Her family wandered off to speak with the others still gathered around, and Chloe decided to go sit beside her gravestone. The gravestone of her best friend, the only thing left now.. Chloe fought back tears but they rolled down her cheeks anyway, her fingers playing with the two necklaces around her neck. In a quiet fit she pulled them off, holding them up in the light. What does it mean? What -did- it mean?.. She had no idea, and probably never will.

With a quiet, sad sigh she turned and hooked the necklaces onto the gravestone, allowing all six of the bullets to hand down next to Max's name. She needed to move on, but she was never good at that. She knew better than to think that she could. She closed her eyes, resting her back against the cool stone as she allowed herself to become lost in her thoughts, away from reality.

Then she felt a nudge, something cool against her arm. She opened her eyes and looked over, almost jumping when she noticed a small doe standing in front of her, just barely older than a fawn. It stared into her eyes in silence, and Chloe extended a hand to hesitantly brush her fingers against its furry cheek. It responded with a quick nuzzle in return, dropping down onto its knees to rest beside the sad bluenette, the young doe's head laying atop her lap. She hadn't smiled once all week, but.. she managed one, with this. Something about this was comforting, it brought the warmth that had been lost since that day back into her. It almost felt like.. hope again.

Chloe brought her hand down to gently brush her fingers through the old doe's fur, closing her eyes once more to rest. She might never know what happened that day, and she might never be able to move on, but.. she was alive, thanks to Max. And she had to make the best of that for her. She deserved that.


End file.
